Hello,
We will be in Dublin for 3 nights and would like to stay at a B&B near the city center. Any suggestions? We also would like to visit Waterford one day. Has anyone taken the train/bus to Waterford? We also would like to visit Powerscourt gardens.
Thanks,

http://www.hosteldublin.com/availabi...stelNumber.102

This is where I stayed when I went to Dublin. It's a guesthouse and a hostel. They had a full irish breakfast buffet and it's a hop, skip and a jump to the bus depot, right around the corner.

Unless the cheapest price dictates, I would stay away from Gardiner street. You can get better for the same price or just a bit higher. There are hubdereds of B&B and Hotels here so the price would help narrow down. Do a search as many are already listerd here as well. Jusrys is always good for a start.

Check out Trinity College's summer accommodations.

Pro: you can't get more central, great to wander the gated campus at night

Con: it's dormish

They are much nicer dorms thatn you would expect thouygh. The ones in the front of the college I am told were renovated so some are quite nice and the Campus is lovely, old and smack in the city centre...forgot this one! Its pretty good pricing as breakfast is included too. I would try this check their website here http://www.tcd.ie/accommodation/Visi...ates/index.php I just found this!

I'm cutting and pasting from a previous thread I replied to: Trinity Lodge (trinitylodge.com) on South Fredericks Street is my favorite place to stay in Dublin. It's a Georgian townhouse a few streets from Grafton Street (the hub of city centre) and within a stone's throw of Trinity College (where I went for postgrad). The hotel is a little pricey, but is comfortable and well appointed, with some fun Graham Knuttel paintings throughout. If your flight isn't too early in the morning, they have a lovely Irish breakfast. It's also two doors from Dunne and Crescenzi's restaurant and wine bar, which offers great food and wine and a rustic, lively atmosphere. If you do book, however, try for a back room; on occasion the club across the street can be loud letting out at 2 am.

It's been a while since I took a bus/train down south, but they're both reliable and interesting ways of seeing Ireland up close, though the bus can take a long time, since they will stop for people outside their homes. (My mother-in-law waits outside her rural home on the curb, and the bus stops to take her into Wexford Town.) Another negative I had with bus travel back in 2000-2001 was the number of people who smoked on the bus, even though it was illegal. I don't know if it's changed since the smoking ban went into effect.

Powerscourt is beautiful and interesting. Nearby Avoca handweavers might be worth the trip, if you like Irish blankets, though I believe they have a shop at Powerscourt. My husband and I like to buy baby blankets from them to have on hand for new babies.

If you're going to Waterford for the glass factory, it really isn't much (imho) and is outside the town centre, which is a bustling port town. The company also recently announced they were moving a large part of their production to Poland.

I would stick with the "Sunny Southeast", i.e. Wicklow, Kilkenny, and Wexford, to keep the traveling to a minimum.